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Preliminary evidence for the validity of the Brief Post-Secondary Student Stressors Index (Brief-PSSI): A cross-sectional psychometric assessment

by Brooke Linden, Amy Ecclestone

The brief version of the Post-Secondary Student Stressors Index (Brief-PSSI) was developed in order to improve the usability of the instrument as a method for evaluating the severity and frequency of stressors faced by post-secondary students. While the original 46-item instrument has been thoroughly psychometrically validated and successfully used among student populations, the length of the instrument limits its utility. Providing a valid, shortened version of the PSSI will enable institutions to include the tool on existing online surveys currently being deployed to surveil the mental health and wellbeing of their students. This study reports preliminary evidence in support of the validity and reliability of the Brief-PSSI using a cross-sectional pilot sample of students attending an Ontario university in 2022. A total of 349 participants (average age 25 (SD = 7.7), range 19–60) completed the first survey, while 149 completed the follow-up survey (average age of 26 (SD = 7.7), range 17–60). Evidence of internal structure, relations to other variables, and of test-retest reliability was assessed according to established index validation guidelines, including the specification of multiple-indicator, multiple-cause models, and Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients. Results provide preliminary support for the validity and reliability of the tool, which demonstrated acceptable goodness-of-fit statistics, statistically significant relationships with like constructs in the hypothesized directions, and good test-retest reliability correlation coefficients. The Brief-PSSI is a useful tool for evaluating the sources of stress among post-secondary students, assessing both the severity of stress experienced and frequency with which each stressor occurred. Future research should explore the practical utility of adding the Brief-PSSI to existing survey assessments as well as pursue the continued collection of validation evidence for the tool among varied student populations.

Developing a model for decision-making around antibiotic prescribing for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia in acute NHS hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative results from the Procalcitonin Evaluation of Antibiotic use in COV

Por: Henley · J. · Brookes-Howell · L. · Euden · J. · Pallmann · P. · Llewelyn · M. · Howard · P. · Powell · N. · Dark · P. · Szakmany · T. · Hellyer · T. P. · Albur · M. · Hamilton · R. · Prestwich · G. · Ogden · M. · Maboshe · W. · Sandoe · J. · Thomas-Jones · E. · Carrol · E. · on behalf of
Objective

To explore and model factors affecting antibiotic prescribing decision-making early in the pandemic.

Design

Semistructured qualitative interview study.

Setting

National Health Service (NHS) trusts/health boards in England and Wales.

Participants

Clinicians from NHS trusts/health boards in England and Wales.

Method

Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with clinicians in six NHS trusts/health boards in England and Wales as part of the Procalcitonin Evaluation of Antibiotic use in COVID-19 Hospitalised patients study, a wider study that included statistical analysis of procalcitonin (PCT) use in hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to identify key factors influencing antibiotic prescribing decisions for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia during the first wave of the pandemic (March to May 2020), including how much influence PCT test results had on these decisions.

Results

During the first wave of the pandemic, recommendations to prescribe antibiotics for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were based on concerns about secondary bacterial infections. However, as clinicians gained more experience with COVID-19, they reported increasing confidence in their ability to distinguish between symptoms and signs caused by SARS-CoV-2 viral infection alone, and secondary bacterial infections. Antibiotic prescribing decisions were influenced by factors such as clinician experience, confidence, senior support, situational factors and organisational influences. A decision-making model was developed.

Conclusion

This study provides insight into the decision-making process around antibiotic prescribing for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia during the first wave of the pandemic. The importance of clinician experience and of senior review of decisions as factors in optimising antibiotic stewardship is highlighted. In addition, situational and organisational factors were identified that could be optimised. The model presented in the study can be used as a tool to aid understanding of the complexity of the decision-making process around antibiotic prescribing and planning antimicrobial stewardship support in the context of a pandemic.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN66682918.

Preoperative functional performance is the best predictor for loss of independence after major surgery among older adults

Por: Johnson · C. E. · Brooke · B. S.

Commentary on: Goeddel L, Murphy Z, Owodunni O, et al. Domains of Frailty Predict Loss of Independence in Older Adults after Non-Cardiac Surgery. Ann Surg. 2022 Sep 20. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005720. Epub ahead of print.

Implications for practice and research

  • Frailty screening with the Edmonton Frailty Scale can be used to identify risk factors for loss of independence after surgery, including a patient’s functional performance, functional dependence, social support and urinary incontinence.

  • Prospective studies are needed to test whether risk factors can be modified before surgery to prevent loss of independence among frail patients.

  • Context

    Frailty is a common syndrome of physiological decline among older adults characterised by vulnerability to adverse outcomes and loss of functional independence after major surgery.1 The study by Goeddel et al2 examined 11 geriatric domains associated with frailty that were collected before surgery using the Edmonton...

    Understanding ‘value’ in the context of community‐based interventions for people affected by dementia: A concept analysis

    Abstract

    Aim

    This study aimed to conduct a concept analysis of value in the context of community-based interventions for people affected by dementia.

    Background

    Concepts of value play a critical role in shaping the delivery and distribution of community-based health interventions through related concepts. However, the use and meaning of ‘value’ is rarely clarified limiting the term's utility in practice and research. Increasing need for community healthcare and scarce public resources means developing understanding of value in community-based interventions for people affected by dementia is timely, and may support more informed approaches to exploring, explaining and delivering value.

    Design

    Evolutionary Concept Analysis was used to systematically determine the characteristics of value.

    Data Sources

    Peer-reviewed and grey literature databases were searched between April and July 2021, with 32 pieces of literature from different disciplines included in the final sample. No limits were set for the years of literature retrieved.

    Methods

    Literature was thematically analysed for information on the antecedents, attributes and consequences of value.

    Results and Discussion

    The analysis uncovered a need and/or desire to understand the experience of people affected by or that affect interventions; and to demonstrate, prove/disprove the (best) quality and nature of results of interventions as antecedents of value. Attributes of value were stakeholder/person centred, measurable, time and context dependent and multidimensional. Consequences of the concept included shared decision-making, valuation of interventions and internal/external investment and development of interventions.

    Conclusion

    Through concept analysis value can now be better understood and applied. The development of a conceptual model to illustrate the constituent elements and relationships of the concept adds transparency to where, why and how concepts of value are enabled that supports future concept development.

    Patient and Public Contribution

    No patient or public contribution.

    Elopement: Evidence‐based mitigation and management

    Abstract

    Background

    Elopement jeopardizes patient safety, affects the hospital's reputation, and results in financial ramifications. In an academic community hospital, executive leadership approached a team of nurse leaders for expertise following the elopement of a vulnerable patient.

    Aim of the Initiative

    The team's goal was to identify evidence-based strategies to mitigate future elopement events. Following an extensive literature review and gap analysis, the organization recognized opportunities pertaining to elopement management, including patient assessment, prevention strategies, and facility-wide response when events occur. The nurse leader team thoroughly searched current literature to answer the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (i.e., PICO) questions of interest. Following a critical appraisal of 55 articles, 26 were utilized to make practice change recommendations. The body of evidence included a variety of age groups and diagnoses.

    Implementation Plan

    After the synthesis of the literature, the team provided recommendations to the organization. These recommendations included the assessment of patient-specific risks and the implementation of elopement prevention measures as fundamental elements for incidence reduction. The team partnered with multidisciplinary stakeholders for the revision of policies, processes, and electronic medical record documentation.

    Outcomes

    The organization monitored elopement events and the duration of each event throughout the phases of implementation. Pre-implementation data, collected from January to June 2021, demonstrated 34 individual elopement cases lasting an average of 118 min each. In comparison, post-implementation data collected during the same time frame in 2022 found only 12 events lasting an average of 24 min each.

    Implications for Practice

    The organization implemented evidence-based recommendations to standardize the facility's approach to elopement. With structured assessment, precautions, and response, the organization demonstrated a notable decline in the number and duration of elopement events. Hardwiring processes, analyzing data, and adjusting expectations within an evidence-based framework should assist the organization's drive to further enhance patient safety surrounding elopement events.

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